Tag Archives: pseudo-science

Lisa and I went on our first date in on the order of three years, leaving our daughter in the care of a friend. We decided to spend our evening with dinner and a movie, and the movie we opted for was Inception.

I’m not much of a DiCaprio fan, and my fiction leanings tend more towards fantasy than science-fiction. However, this is the type of sci-fi story that I do enjoy, one where the pseudo-science is used as background for the story and not as the entire crux. Here, the pseudo-science is that people can enter the dreams of others, either extracting or, in the very rare case that is the premise of the moving, implanting ideas and information. DiCaprio’s job is to plant a new idea in the mind of his employer’s rival.

I found the world that Nolan, the director, created to be both rich and believable. (From what I understand, the plot was his idea, something he’s been working on for the better part of 10 years; he was more than just the director.) The real world is our world — the technological level is the same as ours. The only big difference is this ability to enter and manipulate dreams. As a result, all of the fantastic occurs in the mind. The special effects convey this fantastic world to a marvelous degree, though not outlandishly as sometimes our dreams can be. This is especially true in the scenes in the second dream level when gravity disappears.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot. It made sense within the context of the rules of Nolan’s universe. The ways the different dream levels interacted both with each other and the real world also made sense, as did the potential for getting lost in dream world. Overall, the world Nolan created and the rules that dictated how it behaved seemed self-consistent. There weren’t major points that just didn’t work within the confines of the universe.

Probably just as enjoyable as the plot were the characters. All of the actors did a great job with their characters. Even though most didn’t have much time to get fleshed out, they still were quirky and hinted at rich backstories that seemed intriguing. Each actor brought his or her A-game to these roles and made the film that much more enjoyable.

So, not much to say with regard to specific points in the plot, to avoid spoiling it for anyone. I would just say that I greatly enjoyed the film and would recommend it.